The 2GR is still one of the best V6 engines you can buy today, with a great balance between power, smoothness, fuel economy, reliability and serviceability.
@@speedkar99 thank you so much for this episode. I’ve got one of these engines. You mentioned to keep an eye on the water pump, but what indication would it give before it suddenly grenades itself?
@@speedkar99 hey man, you might be able to answer this question for me. I hear rumors that the 2gr has the same bolt pattern as the 3vz and 5vz, do you have any insight if I could mate the 2gr to a R-150f trans?
@@PatPetrey I believe you are confused, the GR and VZ are the engine block codes, different blocks different bell housings the R150 will not fit a GR motor. Beyond that the GR when applicable uses transmissions without pilot bearings whereas the R150 needs the input shaft supported by an in crank pilot bearing, so again whatever swap you are considering isn't going to work. More Toyota code info: Using 2GR-FSE as an example 2- engine family series GR-block casting - splitting the heads from the block FE-naturally aspirated heads S-port and direct injection T-denotes turbo Z-denotes supercharged K-denotes atkins cycle engine or modified ottoman cycle
it's worth noting that these engines were used in two lines of the Lotus Sport cars, the Evora and Exige. Slap a turbo on it and you've got a 400+hp beast.
I have two of these beauties. One in a Highlander and another in an RX350. Have 420k mi combined with no end in sight. Also recommend swapping out the oil cooler line for a metal one if you have a rubber one.
Water pump is the only part I've ever see fail on one of these. I've replaced them without removing the engine, & yes, it's a PITA but very do-able. Thumbs up for the vid!!!
Thank you very much for this review,i requested and you humbly delivered🙌🏽 My guys with the 2GR have all flocked here ever since😂😂 Guy,you took a a different path of review that non of the automobile reviewers can never even think of doing,you are surely standing out man🙌🏽🔥long live the legend💯I appreciate you
I'm glad Toyota is switching to electric cooling pumps. Serpentine driven coolant pumps seem pretty prone to failure just based on the belt pulling on the pump shaft and bearings when tensioned. This uneven force guarantees wear. That's not even mentioning crappy impeller material . This video is a good reminder to pay attention to your coolant temp guage.
I just replaced one on a 2005 Avalon and I took off the nuts on the right and front engine mounts to lift the engine. This gained clearance to remove the fan pulley and water pump bolts and pump itself.
Toyota tech here, 100% possible in Camry, Avalon, RAV4, and Highlander. The job used to pay roughly 15 hours since, for a long time, it used to be quoted as an engine-out job, but pay was recently slashed to 6 hours since they found out guys were managing to squeeze water pumps out without pulling the engine. Cool stuff!
The oil passages, are designed with so many variables in mind. Oil passages, have to be subject to manufacturing processes. I think Toyota has done a good job on this engine! Now, oil rings carboning up, and sticking, has more to do with NONE top tier fuels being used, plus 10k oil changes, plus non toyota oils being used. Toyota oil, Amsoils, Redline oils, and my fav Pennzoil Ultra are the finest oil to use.
Its quite sad that aftermarket tuning support for the 2gr platform is so poor. Lexus side is getting better but still very limited to newer models. If you want to boost it'll cost the same amount as swapping a 1jzgte in the Lexus FR platforms. Very sad. No one really makes head reinforcement parts for 2gr either. They just reuse some 3sgte head internals. Why?....These are such fun peppy engines.
One of the best engines ever made with port injection only but Toyota Engineers modified it with 2GR-FKS with both port and direct injection which is the best of both worlds. I have this on my Toyota Venza 2009 V6 AWD and currently has 111,500 miles but still drives like new.
When it comes to my Toyotas, I prefer fwd, 4 cylinder (no turbo), none cvt. I have one with now 300k miles. About $1800 in maintenance including oil changes and batteries for the past 11 years. I spent almost as much in repairs on an Audi Q5 in one year.
Well of course.......VW/Audi have been notorious for years for electrical issues, and their engineering is, well.....weird. I remember working on an Audi super 90 back in the 80s with its oddball inboard brake rotors. Wise consumers DONT buy Audis
That's a good water pump there. The one with that clover shaped wheel is the updated version with the improved bearing. The round wheel (old style) is the one that's prone to failure. Smart to save that one.
too bad america cant fix their mistakes. they just keep making mostly crap and relying on propaganda in commercials movies and music to sell their vehicles
As I suspected, It may look like it over heated, but that's just from the factory. They use some kinda induction heat thing to harden the steel there. It's like that on the 4A crank as well.
Engines like these are the reason I will not go electric.Agree 100% You can go over 200k with barely doing anything and drive cross country without thinking about it. Some of the best engines ever made. I have a 2arfe as well and that has been so good I'm getting bored of the car cause it just runs with no issues. Great engines indeed.
2GR FE in my 2010 RAV4. Great engine. LOT of power for that vehicle. Torque steer When you punch it is scary though. When I bought it, I asked the.mechanics in the shop if there was anything to watch out for....they both said "speed". I totalled my 2009 RAV on a big deer and replaced it with this 2010 LTD.. 177K now. Runs great. Wish the mileage was better though. 20 MPG kinda hurts with petrol at $5/gallon. Thanks for the video. Not a single "umm" or "eh". You know your shit.
This engine is a living nightmare. Water pump. Belt tensioner. Rubber oil pipes. Replacing rear plugs. Almost impossible maintenance for the home mechanic and cost a fortune at the dealership. And don’t forget those rattle cam phasers . Absolute garbage Toyota. Now my other car has the Buick 3.8 engine now that’s a reliable engine and a pleasure to repair if ever required. Parts are a fraction of the cost and easy to access. Very dissatisfied with TOYOTA. Never again.
sweet! glad you're doing this one. I've got two of these in my garage: '15 Venza with 95k miles and '16 Sienna with 105k miles. I do basic maintenance on them and I haven't had any problems with any part of the cars. I specifically got those used cars with those model years because I wanted those models and those were the last years (or close to it) that those models had this tried and true v6 before moving on and same thing with the transmission.
He is right about the oil passage ways n stuff . You need to change the oil at 2K miles like me (dui)you can drive this thing worry free 500K miles . No joke . This engine is strong as an OX when clean oil is running rough it . And for its power it’s gas efficient I would say .
my favorite variant of this engine was the 305hp 2nd gen is350. fast as hell and well built. someone on youtube did a 2gr swap on the sw20 mr2 and i gotta say as much as i love the 3sgte i would prefer that raw NA power from the 2gr.
Got this engine in my Toyota Blade Master, probably the weirdest car to come out with it. Basically a corolla with this motor stuffed in it. Goes like hell
I only hear "they improved", so clean etc ... Toyota shows how it has to be done. High quality, no ridiculous, no unnecessary stuff which can break and the IMPROVE instead of reinventing the wheel (we germans love to do everything complicate and unaccessible.. jaaaa 😁)
Oldsmobile division , back in the day would nitride their cranks. Its one reason why they outlasted every other GM divisions engines. Too bad Toyota didnt know how to properly induction harden the valve seats on their 3.0 V-6, they were known for valve seat recession as well as failed head gaskets
@@speedkar99 I have no issues with mine so far. I have 208k miles on the clock. No oil burning or leaks. One thing I’m worried about is the waterpump because I have yet to change that since I got the avalon used at 123kmiles. Which year is the best GS350? Oil consumption issues? I want to buy one in two years…
The reason why the internals look so clean may be because the owner used Dexos certified synthetic motor oil. It does not create sludge and doesn't stick to the parts.
Just bought a Lexus ES350 as a half-priced alternative to my Audi A5 after it got written off in a parking lot smash. The ES is a great bargain luxury car, and even at 260,000KMs this has the build and feel that hundreds of thousands of KMs are left in it - unlike the Audi which always felt like something expensive could break at any given moment.
Hahahah yes the oil filter cartridge is always really tight after oil change shops give it a few ugga duggas... meanwhile, the owners manual says it only needs to be hand tightened.
I have a 2GRFE in my 07 ES350 that I literally have tried to kill...Wife says no IS350 till this one dies...325,000 miles and the mofo still pulls like jet and wont die or even do anything wrong.
yeah, that's why I like working on old American V8's. you have to pull the engine and completely disassemble it to get to anything on Japanese engines. They're great, but too complex. I think they actually need to put a secondary oil pump halfway through the system to boost pressure and reduce pressure loss. They're already overly complicated and expensive to build so what's one more component
Two years ago I sold an '08 Tacoma with the 1GR which is the bigger version of the 2GR. 112K miles at the time. Only needed conventional oil changes, tires, and batteries for the 9 years I owned it. It had the original timing chain, water pump, cam phasers, serpetine belt, alternator, starter, spark plugs, etc. and ran like a top. Last August I actually found it for sale at a local used dealer in my area with 147K miles. I estimate it has around 200K miles by now. The GR engine WILL last 300K+ miles with regular maintenance and oil changes. I've seen countless examples ranging from Sciennas to ES 350s...
I guess I did right by listening to my mechanic and replacing the water pump as preventative maintenance. It wasn't cheap, but in hindsight it is compared to a new engine.
Good power bump over MZ series, but much less smooth and gritty sounding. Both engines will last a long time if maintained (maybe a slight edge to MZ for not having to worry about timing chain cover leaks).
Does anyone know what year did Toyota update the water pump on the 2grfe? I drive a 2016 Toyota Avalon Touring and this is the best car I've ever owned.
These new 60° duel overhead cam engines are amazing. Most of them are cranking out anywhere from 270 to over 300 horsepower and are extremely efficient and dependable.
Not very fuel efficient for our lexus RX, but very good power band and seemingly bulletproof. Never had a problem except for a super slow oil weeping from valve cover, less than a tablespoon in the past 3 years.
Those cranks look like they have heat treating on the crank journals that's why the blue color.....very common look on bmw s54 cranks that are heat treated as factory spec
Personally, the MZ series was better. The closed deck design can take a lot of abuse. Also the water pump is replaceable in the car it is a faff but it's doable even on smaller cars like RAV4s.
@@speedkar99 it's a closed deck or at least semi closed: images.prom.ua/2424375692_w640_h640_blok-tsilindrov-1mzfe.jpg Really tough engines. PCV system sucks though and the VVTI parts aren't too good. But dump it into an MR2 and it's a hoot. I know a guy who put one into a Celica. It's just too bad you can't easily adapt it for RWD the engine is designed to sit slanted. I find for the older rav4s you gotta go from the top and bottom after removing several parts in between, including all the front facing accessories. No it's not easy but it's doable. I'm not sure why the waterpump fails it doesn't seem like a bad design or anything, they're even all metal not BMW, but the bearings just go.
Interesting term, growl. I spun my water pump by hand yesterday and it was making a growing or buzzing noise.. it was weird. But I don't hear it when no engine is running. This water pump was supposedly replaced about 6 months ago. I'm kinda worried now. Any thoughts?
Hello everyone. If one of those crankshaft bearings were bad what sound would you hear at idle. Would it be the "normal" engine sound with a pronounced "tuk tuk tuk tuk" sound? Would a connecting rod bearing have the same sound?
Holy crap that's a complicated engine. It's a wonder we didn't go to turbo I4's 20 or 30 years earlier than we did and skip V6's in their entirety... (Yes I know 4 cylinders can get complex too, but for a given set of features a 4 cylinder has half the cylinder head assemblies, a single timing chain, a simpler cooling system flow, less gaskets and in general are easier to repair). Is anyone going to tell me, with a straight face, that a 2AZ turbo wouldn't have worked just as well in most applications as this 2GR? We very easily could have if in the 80's we used smaller turbos rather than going for V8 killing performance with big turbos. Some manufacturers already had the tech and parts combinations ready to go in their parts bins (looking at you GM, the Family 2 engine was available turbo and fwd/rwd/4wd and could have easily replaced the 3800 for most applications if given a smaller turbo and an intercooler)
In fairness, this engine would experience less internal stress than a boosted 4 cylinder. Forced induction is added complexity on its own. You could argue that this is actually less complex and less prone to failure, which the data does back up. Natural aspiration is a good characteristic for a reliable engine to have, regardless of cylinder layout.
Thanks for show and tell. If I’m not mistaken I did not notice steel sleeves in the cylinders. Did they already used PTWA - plasma coating technology on this engine? Do they use it current Tacomas? Thank you.
I replaced the water pump on one of these in a Sienna and boy was that not a fun time. Fortunately there's (barely) enough room in the Sienna if you remove the motor mount bolt and jack up the engine a little, but it was still not a good time.
So guys , any ideas on what a conservative estimated service life is for the water pump ? I have a 5 year old Toyota Aurion i think is just another camry version , which I think has this engine , mine has only about 60,000 k's on it or about 37000 miles. I'm a stickler for being on time with services or even having them a tad earlier to keep my gear well looked after and reliable.
It would be interesting to put a straight edge on the heads & block to see how warped they are. Is the 'flatness' always apparent with the naked eye(with straight edge)?
If that motor didn't turn over at the dealer and really blew head gasket it may have been hydro locked water may have run out which is why you could turn it over
Old water pump design has failures. Apparently Toyota released a new water pump design that fixes the older faulty one. Was watching Car Care Nut on YT (Toyota Mechanic) as he explained during a water pump replacement and said he hasn't seen the new ones fail. Hopefully that's the case! From the water pump... To the rubber oil line hose... I cannot believe Toyota had this many design flaws in the 2GR... You'd think after decades of engineering they would learn from mistakes.... Maybe it was no mistake.... To cut down the cost anyway they can....
@@speedkar99 Hey, I'm not the first owner but I guess it's either the original or 2nd water pump. Last year the alternator went bad the mechanic told me it's the original part from 2008. Also replaced the original radiator and hoses last year not because it's leaking, just preventive maintenance. Drove 6500 miles in 2 weeks for a great roadtrip and nothing wrong with it.
So the owner neglected cause he/ she did not change the water pump on time? or because there was some leak from the head gaskets. Sorry for my ignorance, Is that the water pump looks pretty new to me. Also, I have the same engine and love my rav4, except that I see oil leaking on one of the corners. I think I have to replace the gaskets. I replaced the water pump when she was about 80000 miles, the pulley was making a sound. Thanks for the video and for taking the time to upload it. you sound very knowledgeable.
Hello. What oil change interval do you recommand for a 2012 2GR-FXE engine with 100k mi ? Oil grade? Thx a lot. ( here in europ, we frequently mix up E85 with 95 or 98 octane gasoline : 70/30 )
Given you have the hybrid version you engine only runs about 1/2-2/3 of vehicle operation. I believe for a 2012 the oil grade is 5w30 with 5k mile intervals. I would stick to that and like he says keep a lookout for your cooling systems. It is a toyota/lexus weakness no matter what engine or model.
I had a 2GR-FSE with direct and port injection in my IS350 and a version of the 2R with just port injection I think, now in my 21 Lotus Evora GT. This engine is amazing. When the FSE came out in 05-06 it won the Ward's best engine award IIRC. super smooth and in the Evora sounds like an F1 car! Love it!
I wish the 2gr came out for the 2000 model year... I have the 1mzfe with vvti in my avalon and it's slow as hell.. Not as bad as the 4 cylinders though...
The 2GR is still one of the best V6 engines you can buy today, with a great balance between power, smoothness, fuel economy, reliability and serviceability.
It's good but too bad it's being discontinued
@@speedkar99 thank you so much for this episode. I’ve got one of these engines. You mentioned to keep an eye on the water pump, but what indication would it give before it suddenly grenades itself?
@@speedkar99 hey man, you might be able to answer this question for me. I hear rumors that the 2gr has the same bolt pattern as the 3vz and 5vz, do you have any insight if I could mate the 2gr to a R-150f trans?
@@HS-lt8eu i heard mine on the belt. the bearings on the water pump went it still functioned. covered under warranty
@@PatPetrey
I believe you are confused, the GR and VZ are the engine block codes, different blocks different bell housings the R150 will not fit a GR motor.
Beyond that the GR when applicable uses transmissions without pilot bearings whereas the R150 needs the input shaft supported by an in crank pilot bearing, so again whatever swap you are considering isn't going to work.
More Toyota code info:
Using 2GR-FSE as an example
2- engine family series
GR-block casting
- splitting the heads from the block
FE-naturally aspirated heads
S-port and direct injection
T-denotes turbo
Z-denotes supercharged
K-denotes atkins cycle engine or modified ottoman cycle
That’s one of the cleanest engines I have ever seen. You must have gotten a lot of useful parts out of that engine.
Coolant mixed with oil makes for a great cleaning agent (aside from completing grenading the engine) it works wonders!
If the engine blew a head gasket then it's no wonder it's spotless, it's been getting steam cleaned on the inside.
this engine is no joke, its actually pretty powerful for its class at around 280 hp or even more, despite being very reliable
FSE has 305 hp
Fse 310hp
Frankestein motorworks got it to 400 whp on a mr2, NATURALLY ASPIRATED. This engine is crazy
@@bestsophat7316lol some came 314 in jdm cars
@@truckingjamaicans5045mark x grmn😍
it's worth noting that these engines were used in two lines of the Lotus Sport cars, the Evora and Exige. Slap a turbo on it and you've got a 400+hp beast.
Slapped a Super not Turbo...
@@DumbSkippy yeah i know they did that, i was talking about regular people. they can slap a turbo on theirs and pull 400+horses
I have a turbo on my 2gr fe. Over 500whp on 92 pump gas. 650whp on e85. Could be more but id like to see the motor last a while.
Prob the only supercars that are reliable.
@@RyanDohertyRacing What did you use for rotating assembly, kind of curious what the stock internals can handle.
I have two of these beauties. One in a Highlander and another in an RX350. Have 420k mi combined with no end in sight. Also recommend swapping out the oil cooler line for a metal one if you have a rubber one.
Water pump is the only part I've ever see fail on one of these. I've replaced them without removing the engine, & yes, it's a PITA but very do-able. Thumbs up for the vid!!!
Timing cover leaks and externally leaking headgaskets are also common
40% of all 2gr-fe have front timing cover leaking oil. It's hard to notice. The engine has to come down to replace. Big $
Thank you very much for this review,i requested and you humbly delivered🙌🏽
My guys with the 2GR have all flocked here ever since😂😂
Guy,you took a a different path of review that non of the automobile reviewers can never even think of doing,you are surely standing out man🙌🏽🔥long live the legend💯I appreciate you
I'm glad you appreciate my teardowns! 2GR was long awaited but I finally got my hands on this one.
I'm glad Toyota is switching to electric cooling pumps. Serpentine driven coolant pumps seem pretty prone to failure just based on the belt pulling on the pump shaft and bearings when tensioned. This uneven force guarantees wear. That's not even mentioning crappy impeller material . This video is a good reminder to pay attention to your coolant temp guage.
Electric pumps are good but they too have bearings, implellers and electric motors that can fail too...
lol my toyota watepump is going on 18 years and 200k. how very unreliable!!!
the camry xx18 up 4cyl had electric WP
I just replaced one on a 2005 Avalon and I took off the nuts on the right and front engine mounts to lift the engine. This gained clearance to remove the fan pulley and water pump bolts and pump itself.
Nice and easy in a big car. Try that in a RAV4 !
@@speedkar99 I've done it in my Rav4. It looks bad to do but really wasn't that hard. Just lift up the engine a bit once the motor mount is off.
Toyota tech here, 100% possible in Camry, Avalon, RAV4, and Highlander. The job used to pay roughly 15 hours since, for a long time, it used to be quoted as an engine-out job, but pay was recently slashed to 6 hours since they found out guys were managing to squeeze water pumps out without pulling the engine. Cool stuff!
I'm not looking forward to this job on my 2GR Toyota Blade.
The Care Nut has a video demonstrating this job in a Camry. It's tight clearances but very doable.
I have the 2GR-FSE in my Lexus IS350. It is just amazing !
I have on in my GS350 too
The oil passages, are designed with so many variables in mind. Oil passages, have to be subject to manufacturing processes. I think Toyota has done a good job on this engine! Now, oil rings carboning up, and sticking, has more to do with NONE top tier fuels being used, plus 10k oil changes, plus non toyota oils being used. Toyota oil, Amsoils, Redline oils, and my fav Pennzoil Ultra are the finest oil to use.
Its quite sad that aftermarket tuning support for the 2gr platform is so poor. Lexus side is getting better but still very limited to newer models. If you want to boost it'll cost the same amount as swapping a 1jzgte in the Lexus FR platforms. Very sad. No one really makes head reinforcement parts for 2gr either. They just reuse some 3sgte head internals. Why?....These are such fun peppy engines.
One of my Favorite V6s ever, they make an awesome sound
They sure are nice motors
One of the best engines ever made with port injection only but Toyota Engineers modified it with 2GR-FKS with both port and direct injection which is the best of both worlds. I have this on my Toyota Venza 2009 V6 AWD and currently has 111,500 miles but still drives like new.
They sure are good engines, though a bit complex in their own way.
When it comes to my Toyotas, I prefer fwd, 4 cylinder (no turbo), none cvt. I have one with now 300k miles. About $1800 in maintenance including oil changes and batteries for the past 11 years. I spent almost as much in repairs on an Audi Q5 in one year.
Well of course.......VW/Audi have been notorious for years for electrical issues, and their engineering is, well.....weird. I remember working on an Audi super 90 back in the 80s with its oddball inboard brake rotors.
Wise consumers DONT buy Audis
@@donreinke5863 found the poors
@@michaels4640 Your comment makes no sense..must be an Audi buyer.
@@donreinke5863 checks out 😂
@@michaels4640 found the child
That's a good water pump there. The one with that clover shaped wheel is the updated version with the improved bearing. The round wheel (old style) is the one that's prone to failure. Smart to save that one.
too bad america cant fix their mistakes. they just keep making mostly crap and relying on propaganda in commercials movies and music to sell their vehicles
As I suspected, It may look like it over heated, but that's just from the factory. They use some kinda induction heat thing to harden the steel there. It's like that on the 4A crank as well.
Good to know
Probably the best engine I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned a lot of them.
Engines like these are the reason I will not go electric.Agree 100% You can go over 200k with barely doing anything and drive cross country without thinking about it. Some of the best engines ever made. I have a 2arfe as well and that has been so good I'm getting bored of the car cause it just runs with no issues. Great engines indeed.
2GR FE in my 2010 RAV4. Great engine. LOT of power for that vehicle. Torque steer When you punch it is scary though. When I bought it, I asked the.mechanics in the shop if there was anything to watch out for....they both said "speed".
I totalled my 2009 RAV on a big deer and replaced it with this 2010 LTD.. 177K now. Runs great. Wish the mileage was better though. 20 MPG kinda hurts with petrol at $5/gallon.
Thanks for the video. Not a single "umm" or "eh". You know your shit.
This engine is a living nightmare. Water pump. Belt tensioner. Rubber oil pipes. Replacing rear plugs. Almost impossible maintenance for the home mechanic and cost a fortune at the dealership. And don’t forget those rattle cam phasers . Absolute garbage Toyota. Now my other car has the Buick 3.8 engine now that’s a reliable engine and a pleasure to repair if ever required. Parts are a fraction of the cost and easy to access. Very dissatisfied with TOYOTA. Never again.
I agree. It is very difficult to work on in transverse form.
Remove engine to remove water pump? Looks like Toyota is still making diy nearly impossible. No thanks
DIY or professional. It's still is a stupid job.
sweet! glad you're doing this one. I've got two of these in my garage: '15 Venza with 95k miles and '16 Sienna with 105k miles. I do basic maintenance on them and I haven't had any problems with any part of the cars. I specifically got those used cars with those model years because I wanted those models and those were the last years (or close to it) that those models had this tried and true v6 before moving on and same thing with the transmission.
Good call. They should last you a while
Smart man!
Great job! Yea idk how I feel about the newer 2GRs. I heard they are burning oil. Meanwhile the tried and true 2GR doesn’t.
This, the VQ and the J series are the best Japanese V6s ever made imo
Being a toyota tech, a v6 accord owner, and a former trumpet boy, you're god damned right
@@caud.j30 I used to be a Lexus tech and I own 2 J series Hondas (a 6-6 Accord and a Pilot) lol
@@accordinglyryan mine is a 6 6 aswell! They're incredible cars, mines a 7th gen, but that 244hp feels like 350 behind the wheel of that thing
All good engines. I have teardown videos on all of them, check it out
@@speedkar99 I think I've seen them all, been subbed for a while lol
Brilliant video. You capture the tear down with great insight and speed which keeps your viewer enthralled. Thank you.
You are welcome
He is right about the oil passage ways n stuff . You need to change the oil at 2K miles like me (dui)you can drive this thing worry free 500K miles . No joke . This engine is strong as an OX when clean oil is running rough it . And for its power it’s gas efficient I would say .
You mean DIY? DUI wouldn't be wise 😂 haha
my favorite variant of this engine was the 305hp 2nd gen is350. fast as hell and well built. someone on youtube did a 2gr swap on the sw20 mr2 and i gotta say as much as i love the 3sgte i would prefer that raw NA power from the 2gr.
I too have a 2grfse in my GS350 and love it.
it puts out power equivalent to the V8 offered in the 2nd gen GS
Got this engine in my Toyota Blade Master, probably the weirdest car to come out with it. Basically a corolla with this motor stuffed in it. Goes like hell
So many Toyota models I didn't know existed. Well same goes for all brands!
I only hear "they improved", so clean etc ... Toyota shows how it has to be done.
High quality, no ridiculous, no unnecessary stuff which can break and the IMPROVE instead of reinventing the wheel (we germans love to do everything complicate and unaccessible.. jaaaa 😁)
Sometimes a timing belt is better as it forces you to change the water pump before they ' grenade '.😅
The "discoloration" on the crank is from the induction surface hardening process during manufacturing.
ruclips.net/video/pXVEW1ubiNM/видео.html&ab_channel=fiatnutz
Oldsmobile division , back in the day would nitride their cranks. Its one reason why they outlasted every other GM divisions engines.
Too bad Toyota didnt know how to properly induction harden the valve seats on their 3.0 V-6, they were known for valve seat recession as well as failed head gaskets
Always enjoy your knowledgeable streams.. Great work..
You are welcome
Man what'd this guy do, change his oil every 300 miles...? nah jk definitely had steam blasting thru the heads
Yep it probably was steamed cleaned from the blown head gasket
Sad this engine is being replaced by a turbo 4 cylinder in the new Highlander.😔
Amazing watching you tear down this engine. You’re so knowledgeable. I wish I could spend a few weeks with you to learn.
Awesome!! I love this motor. Makes my Avalon a sleeper
It sure does! I have the Lexus version in my GS350
@@speedkar99 I have no issues with mine so far. I have 208k miles on the clock. No oil burning or leaks. One thing I’m worried about is the waterpump because I have yet to change that since I got the avalon used at 123kmiles.
Which year is the best GS350? Oil consumption issues? I want to buy one in two years…
The reason why the internals look so clean may be because the owner used Dexos certified synthetic motor oil. It does not create sludge and doesn't stick to the parts.
Just bought a Lexus ES350 as a half-priced alternative to my Audi A5 after it got written off in a parking lot smash. The ES is a great bargain luxury car, and even at 260,000KMs this has the build and feel that hundreds of thousands of KMs are left in it - unlike the Audi which always felt like something expensive could break at any given moment.
Agreed! I like my dad's ES350 too. Very underrated
Gotta watch the gosh dang WATER PUMP AHHH and otherwise beat on the dang thing all day long
Sadly it's starting to fade away as 4 cyl turbos are just too tempting even for Toyota
Hahahah yes the oil filter cartridge is always really tight after oil change shops give it a few ugga duggas... meanwhile, the owners manual says it only needs to be hand tightened.
I still like the MZ engine over the 2GR.. although the GR is newer, and more powerful... MZ is more reliable and oil change is better exp for me
Solid engine, have it on my 2009 Camry XLE with 176K miles. Regular maintenance only.
Awesome!
Too bad you aren't close, I'd drop off my "Ford" 750hp supercharged 347 engine. Going to a supercharged 363 now.
Ok
My 08 RX350 previous owner never changed the oil, feels like shit and blows smoke on start up smh
I have a 2GRFE in my 07 ES350 that I literally have tried to kill...Wife says no IS350 till this one dies...325,000 miles and the mofo still pulls like jet and wont die or even do anything wrong.
The cooling system will start to leak (head gasket or water pump) and then the timing chain cover.
@@speedkar99 thank God
yeah, that's why I like working on old American V8's. you have to pull the engine and completely disassemble it to get to anything on Japanese engines. They're great, but too complex.
I think they actually need to put a secondary oil pump halfway through the system to boost pressure and reduce pressure loss. They're already overly complicated and expensive to build so what's one more component
Yes I see your point about the the secondary oil pump....it's quite a complex system they have here
CoughNorthstarCough
Two years ago I sold an '08 Tacoma with the 1GR which is the bigger version of the 2GR. 112K miles at the time. Only needed conventional oil changes, tires, and batteries for the 9 years I owned it. It had the original timing chain, water pump, cam phasers, serpetine belt, alternator, starter, spark plugs, etc. and ran like a top. Last August I actually found it for sale at a local used dealer in my area with 147K miles. I estimate it has around 200K miles by now. The GR engine WILL last 300K+ miles with regular maintenance and oil changes. I've seen countless examples ranging from Sciennas to ES 350s...
It sure is a reliable engine if you watch out for the cooling system
Original spark plugs??? Geez they have a 30k interval on the 4.0!
can you do a direct comparison of toyota v6 vs honda v6?
Ever considered taking apart a Honda R18A1? The early ones were notorious for water pump failures that cracked the engine block once it overheated.
I have a video on the R18 civic engine with that exact failure. Check it out!
I guess I did right by listening to my mechanic and replacing the water pump as preventative maintenance.
It wasn't cheap, but in hindsight it is compared to a new engine.
Better safe than sorry
Good call
What mileage did you replace it at?
@@chaseharrison2064 at 240000 km
I have 2005 Avalon with 177k miles with original water pump. I’m now worry.
Don't worry, BE HAPPY ! ! !
Good power bump over MZ series, but much less smooth and gritty sounding. Both engines will last a long time if maintained (maybe a slight edge to MZ for not having to worry about timing chain cover leaks).
Agreed. The 1MZ is smoother.
I've heard people say the 2GR sounds a bit "agricultural" and I agree.
Does anyone know what year did Toyota update the water pump on the 2grfe? I drive a 2016 Toyota Avalon Touring and this is the best car I've ever owned.
That's a good question, though by 2016 the 2GR was already out for 10 years
Most of engines that you disassemby is toyota, honda do you have any mitsubishi power plants ?
Everyone forgot about Mercedes 3.2....
My brother has this engine in his Camry, stonking topend. Me I've got the Mitsubishi 3.8 much stronger down low and I can change the water pump.lol.
Haha
I read all your comment replies in your voice LMAO
pulling the engine for a water pump, holy Shit toyota
Sad
One of the best V6 engines in the world! These things are reliable to the core
They sure are...of you take care of them!
Nissan’s VQ engines are also good. They made the Wards best engine list 14 years in a row.
Super reliable engine but it took Toyota until about 2016 to figure out FIPG.
@@elonsus9747 I have both haha
Their only weakness: they must have oil and coolant 😂
Still have my 2006 RAV4 with the V6 and runs like a champ.
Rav6 is a sleeper
These new 60° duel overhead cam engines are amazing. Most of them are cranking out anywhere from 270 to over 300 horsepower and are extremely efficient and dependable.
Not very fuel efficient for our lexus RX, but very good power band and seemingly bulletproof. Never had a problem except for a super slow oil weeping from valve cover, less than a tablespoon in the past 3 years.
Those cranks look like they have heat treating on the crank journals that's why the blue color.....very common look on bmw s54 cranks that are heat treated as factory spec
Wrong- The 2GR FE is only port injection doesn’t matter if in a Lexus or Toyota.
Yes. The FSE is D4S
Personally, the MZ series was better. The closed deck design can take a lot of abuse. Also the water pump is replaceable in the car it is a faff but it's doable even on smaller cars like RAV4s.
MZ was open deck wasn't it?
I know people have found workarounds on the water pump but itsnot easy
@@speedkar99 it's a closed deck or at least semi closed: images.prom.ua/2424375692_w640_h640_blok-tsilindrov-1mzfe.jpg
Really tough engines. PCV system sucks though and the VVTI parts aren't too good. But dump it into an MR2 and it's a hoot. I know a guy who put one into a Celica. It's just too bad you can't easily adapt it for RWD the engine is designed to sit slanted.
I find for the older rav4s you gotta go from the top and bottom after removing several parts in between, including all the front facing accessories. No it's not easy but it's doable. I'm not sure why the waterpump fails it doesn't seem like a bad design or anything, they're even all metal not BMW, but the bearings just go.
I like the power of the 2GR but I do prefer the closed deck design of the 1mz.
At 9:23, one big difference between a Toyota engine and VW or German engine is those timing chain guides. Metal on the Toyota and plastic on VW.
Agreed. Many other brands use plastic too, like Nissan
These water pumps are known issues..... they'll also growl forever before actually failing
Interesting term, growl. I spun my water pump by hand yesterday and it was making a growing or buzzing noise.. it was weird. But I don't hear it when no engine is running. This water pump was supposedly replaced about 6 months ago. I'm kinda worried now. Any thoughts?
Got one in my mr2. Have a noisey water pump. But I probably have to drop the motor to do it.
Ouch
I hate plastic fuel rails because they can crack with heat and cause a fire. Toyota ended up making a metal one for my Toyota Celica
Yeah I can see that happening. I think this is the first plastic fuel rail I've come across and surprised it's from Toyota...
Hello everyone. If one of those crankshaft bearings were bad what sound would you hear at idle. Would it be the "normal" engine sound with a pronounced "tuk tuk tuk tuk" sound? Would a connecting rod bearing have the same sound?
More of a knocking sound
If I had to guess, I'd say the heat marks on the rod journals are actually from induction hardening.
Now that you mentioned it, yes
Holy crap that's a complicated engine. It's a wonder we didn't go to turbo I4's 20 or 30 years earlier than we did and skip V6's in their entirety... (Yes I know 4 cylinders can get complex too, but for a given set of features a 4 cylinder has half the cylinder head assemblies, a single timing chain, a simpler cooling system flow, less gaskets and in general are easier to repair). Is anyone going to tell me, with a straight face, that a 2AZ turbo wouldn't have worked just as well in most applications as this 2GR?
We very easily could have if in the 80's we used smaller turbos rather than going for V8 killing performance with big turbos. Some manufacturers already had the tech and parts combinations ready to go in their parts bins (looking at you GM, the Family 2 engine was available turbo and fwd/rwd/4wd and could have easily replaced the 3800 for most applications if given a smaller turbo and an intercooler)
In fairness, this engine would experience less internal stress than a boosted 4 cylinder. Forced induction is added complexity on its own. You could argue that this is actually less complex and less prone to failure, which the data does back up. Natural aspiration is a good characteristic for a reliable engine to have, regardless of cylinder layout.
Well you got your wish....a 2.4L turbo 4 cylinder is replacing this V6 in the Highlander, RX, Crown and maybe the Sienna.
You humor me with "I'm going to use my (family members) (insert piece of clothing here)"
Gotta use what I can somewhere
Thanks for show and tell. If I’m not mistaken I did not notice steel sleeves in the cylinders. Did they already used PTWA - plasma coating technology on this engine? Do they use it current Tacomas? Thank you.
I just recently bought a 2023 Tacoma with the 2GR-FKS and I'm just loving it.
I want to learn how to fixe the engine
I replaced the water pump on one of these in a Sienna and boy was that not a fun time. Fortunately there's (barely) enough room in the Sienna if you remove the motor mount bolt and jack up the engine a little, but it was still not a good time.
I just subscribed, great tear down. I own a 2007 lexus es350. ***Looks like it will cost a lot to rebuild this engine, right?
So guys , any ideas on what a conservative estimated service life is for the water pump ?
I have a 5 year old Toyota Aurion i think is just another camry version , which I think has this engine , mine has only about 60,000 k's on it or about 37000 miles.
I'm a stickler for being on time with services or even having them a tad earlier to keep my gear well looked after and reliable.
That's not much mileage. Keep an eye out for the water pump noise and weepage
@@speedkar99 Ok will do , thanks mate .
It’s going to be a sad day when Toyota drops this V6 it is such a strong motor
They already dropped it from the new Highlander, RX, Venza, Crown and Sienna.
Next gen Camry is next...
It would be interesting to put a straight edge on the heads & block to see how warped they are. Is the 'flatness' always apparent with the naked eye(with straight edge)?
No, flatness is measured in thousands of an inch
I own a 2010 sienna that currently has 280k mile and still runs strong
Nice!
thinks sir so mut
Welcome
If that motor didn't turn over at the dealer and really blew head gasket it may have been hydro locked water may have run out which is why you could turn it over
Old water pump design has failures. Apparently Toyota released a new water pump design that fixes the older faulty one. Was watching Car Care Nut on YT (Toyota Mechanic) as he explained during a water pump replacement and said he hasn't seen the new ones fail. Hopefully that's the case! From the water pump... To the rubber oil line hose... I cannot believe Toyota had this many design flaws in the 2GR... You'd think after decades of engineering they would learn from mistakes.... Maybe it was no mistake.... To cut down the cost anyway they can....
At least they fixed their issues....unlike...um GM who keeps refusing to accept there's an issue in the first place
@@speedkar99 yup
my 09 rx350 with this engine is running strong with 246,000 miles on it
Nice! How many water pumps?
@@speedkar99 Hey, I'm not the first owner but I guess it's either the original or 2nd water pump. Last year the alternator went bad the mechanic told me it's the original part from 2008. Also replaced the original radiator and hoses last year not because it's leaking, just preventive maintenance. Drove 6500 miles in 2 weeks for a great roadtrip and nothing wrong with it.
So the owner neglected cause he/ she did not change the water pump on time? or because there was some leak from the head gaskets. Sorry for my ignorance, Is that the water pump looks pretty new to me. Also, I have the same engine and love my rav4, except that I see oil leaking on one of the corners. I think I have to replace the gaskets. I replaced the water pump when she was about 80000 miles, the pulley was making a sound. Thanks for the video and for taking the time to upload it. you sound very knowledgeable.
Good working my friend
Thank you 👍
Great video, it's like watch CSI except on engine.
The fse varient has metal fuel rails btw
Actually it was the rear line for the VVT system that was rubber.
Not the front too?
Hello. What oil change interval do you recommand for a 2012 2GR-FXE engine with 100k mi ? Oil grade? Thx a lot. ( here in europ, we frequently mix up E85 with 95 or 98 octane gasoline : 70/30 )
Given you have the hybrid version you engine only runs about 1/2-2/3 of vehicle operation. I believe for a 2012 the oil grade is 5w30 with 5k mile intervals. I would stick to that and like he says keep a lookout for your cooling systems. It is a toyota/lexus weakness no matter what engine or model.
Is this engine much better than 1mz 3mz in terms of reliability?
Would have been nice to know the mileage on this motor
It sure would have.
I had a 2GR-FSE with direct and port injection in my IS350 and a version of the 2R with just port injection I think, now in my 21 Lotus Evora GT. This engine is amazing. When the FSE came out in 05-06 it won the Ward's best engine award IIRC. super smooth and in the Evora sounds like an F1 car! Love it!
I wish the 2gr came out for the 2000 model year... I have the 1mzfe with vvti in my avalon and it's slow as hell.. Not as bad as the 4 cylinders though...
Agreed, the MZ was a slow and steady engine. I have a 3MZ Camry
what a brilliant engine, shame about the water pump failure though.
Agreed.... something very simple yet they couldn't get it right
I have a 07 GS350 with the FSE variant and boy this motor is a treat
I have an 07 GS350 as well. How many km and how has it held up?
@@speedkar99 144K miles and has held out so far slightly burns a bit more oil but I’ll try to switch to Pennzoil Ultra Full Synthetic
@@speedkar99 goal is to eventually find a used IS350 FD of 4.08 I heard it cuts down 0-60 on the GS350
Still love our 2012 Rav4. The 2GR is a great engine. I'd love to flow bench a set of these heads one day. Amazing design.
The 2GR makes the rav4 a beast!
@@speedkar99 tows our 24ft boat with ease.
What a gem, I love it!! The engineering on these things are impressive. Love it in my rc350
Why didn't you go for the V8? Haha
@@speedkar99 A couple different reasons but mainly the $26,905 increase.